Jetsetter: Wii U launch details from around the world

Welcome back to Jetsetter, Digital Trends weekly look at the international world of video games. The United States represents the biggest video game market on the planet. The ESA said that people in the US spent a total of $25 billion on video games and gaming machines in 2011. That means that big businesses spend scads of cash making games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II to satisfy that market. There are 6.7 billion other people on the planet outside the US, though, and you best believe they like video games too. Jetsetter’s goal is to tell you about what they’re playing, what they’re making, and why you should seek those games out.

Like the column? Know about something sweet from abroad? Tell us in the comments. Then if you feel so inclined you can follow moi on Twitter at @ajohnagnello.

* Nintendo Wii U launches in Europe on Nov. 30, Japan on Dec. 8.

While the US will get to pick up Nintendo’s new console on November 18, the other countries getting a taste of the tablet controller in 2012 will have to wait just a bit longer. And pay a bit more. The Wii U will hit Europe on November 30. Cost across the European Union is still unknown but the Wii U will be a sight more expensive in the UK at £210 ($340) for the Basic package and £250 ($405) for the Deluxe. Japan meanwhile will have to wait the longest, getting the Wii U on December 8, where it will cost almost the exact same amount as in the UK.

* Japanese Xenoblade studio readies Wii U game.

Speaking of Japan, Nintendo did confirm that one of its most celebrated Japanese studios is hard at work on its first Wii U game. Monolithsoft, the studio behind this year’s critical darling and surprise sales hit Xenoblade, is making an original IP for Nintendo’s new machine. Tetsuya Takahashi, the mastermind behind Xenoblade and Monolithsoft’s Gamecube cult hit Baten Kaitos, will direct.

NASSCOM, India’s entertainment software oversight organization and lobbyist group, and Indie GameDev India announced the date for this year’s Build Your Own Game event. On October 30th at the Indian Game Developer Conference, the country’s up and coming independent game developers will build new games in just 72 hours in the city of Pune.

Everyone craves the good old days, and companies like Nintendo and Sony are cashing in with their mini versions of beloved retro consoles. But is this fad built to last or will our fixation with pixelated graphics come and go like mom…

Looking to score Nintendo's latest hybrid console? We've smoked out the best Nintendo Switch deals right here, including discounts on stand-alone consoles as well as bundles that feature games like Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Save yourself from hours wasted scrolling through Netflix's massive library by checking out our picks for the streamer's best movies available right now, whether you're into explosive action, witty humor, or anything else.

Cyber Monday is still a ways off, but it's never too early to start planning ahead. With so many different deals to choose from during one of the biggest shopping holidays of the year, going in with a little know-how makes all the…

GameStop is currently running an early Black Friday sale that offers an Xbox One S or a PlayStation 4 slim model for just $200 apiece. Both consoles come with a free game, and other games are also on sale.

A Redditor who correctly claimed that Sony will be skipping E3 2019 revealed several details about the PlayStation 5 and the PSVR 2. The PlayStation 5 release date will be in 2020, while the PSVR 2 will ditch the breaker box.

The group of Fallout 76 players who summoned the Scorchbeast Queen by dropping a nuke on a fissure site took the next step, launching three nukes on a single target. They did not find out what happens next, as the game's server crashed.

The mega-retailer opens its doors to the most competitive shoppers at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 22, and signs indicate that the retailer means business this year. We've sifted through all of the deals, from consumer electronics to small…

Fallout 76 has experienced a sharp decline in viewership not just when compared to the numbers for Fallout 4, but also compared to the game's B.E.T.A. period last month. Sales also appear to be lower than they were with Fallout 4.

We've been hard at work assembling all the best Black Friday deals Best Buy offers in 2018 and putting them in one place to save you time and money this holiday season. From laptops to TVs, game consoles to smart speakers and much more…